Thanks to Mr Lucia for the clarification. I keep forgetting the size, scale, and diversity of the U.S.
I also wonder how many people seem to conflate horror with gore — definitely not an identity. Ms Radclyffe’s horror vs terror is an important distinction, and gore definitely is not more than a small subset of the titillating tales.

In any case, the introductory lectures of “Horror 101” are indeed shaping up to be interesting.

Rigney’s “Called on Account” — a beautiful example of disturbing stuff and ungory fright. However, it has been quite a tired trope to portray small-town America as hotbed of seething secrets and prevaricating perversions. Necessary, though, for this story. Well-written and very well presented.

Thanks for the comment, Piorvonen. I’m looking forward to the next few Horror 101 segments. This is an era within the genre in which I’m woefully unread.

I think you’re right that for this story, the community had to be a small town. But that’s only for the sake of fiction. Dark secrets, perversions of all sorts, undiscovered crimes and such certainly happen in large cities and small towns; gather a significant number of people together into a neighborhood in which the individuals are forced to interact with each other and hotbeds of all sorts will emerge. In large cities, however, people can disappear, they can remain anonymous and non-interactive with their neighbors. There are four apartments in my building here in Chicago. I’ve never seen the occupants of two of them. That kind of life is harder to live in a small town; and while the isolation and anonymity can be the stuff of good fiction, that degree of interaction in small town America — or anywhere — makes storytelling possible.

Aloha Terror Tribe!
I really love the Horror 101 segment. Great stuff.
Other fun stuff. Please excuse the llink, but I thought my fellow Terror Tribe might dig this…
I’m an artist and work with Body Glove. In a short film contest held by Trans World Surf Magazine, Body Glove decided to make a short monster movie. It’s like “The Blair Witch Project” (or maybe “The Creature Surfs Among Us”!) but has an exotic tropical location, world class surfers, and a vicious sea creature that could be a Deep One. Happy to say they won the contest! Here’s Body Glove’s link to the film:

Hey everyone,
Our 2012 Imaginarium video “The Disappearance” went up on TransWolrd Surf’s site today. If you could share this link through all your avenues (email, facebook, twitter, google+) we would really appreciate it. We are very proud of this video and want everyone to see it.

Aloha Terror Tribe!
Oh, a few more thoughts…
“Horror 101” with Kevin Lucia – if I may, here is a request. Kevin, when you are talking about a horror story, please have a short reading of a few lines of it. Give us a little taste of the writing. It’d help the discussion so much by giving us an example of what you’re talking about. By the way, I can’t wait for “The Haunting of Hill House” ! Love that classic! Hope you devote a whole segment to that Terror Tale!

“Called on Account” by Mark Rigney – Oh Jeepers Creepers, this is the soul chilling kind of horror story that made me want to read more horror as a kid… pure gold from the crypt! As it plays out, it keeps getting stranger, and darker, and better, and creepier… and when you think it’s done, it goes one more inning, on to a new game of chilling thrilling goodness! Excellent Terror Tale Mr. Rigney! Let’s have more from you in the nook please.